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Category Archives: Bargain Shopping at Chain Drug Stores

Spring is finally here and with the changing of the seasons comes the need to change one’s skin care routine. In this posting I’ll share how I do that and manage to stay within the target range I plan to spend on each item. That targeted price is never to go above $5 per item whenever possible. I achieve this by looking for store brands with comparable or the same ingredients. If I am shopping at 99 cent stores then purchasing a store brand is not possible but I look for products by the same manufacturer whose products I have used in the past and which peformed well.

Rite-Aid’s daylogic cleansing cream and astringent.

As the weather gets warmer my skin produces more oil. Especially on hot and humid days, a rich cleansing cream and moisturizer prove unnecessary. I have always done well with Noxema medicated cleansing cream and Sea Breeze astringent during the hot weather. Both reduce the oil and deep clean my skin without resulting dryness. I attribute this to the camphor and eucalyptus oil in these brand name products. Since they are not always available on sale at Rite-Aid Pharmacy, I look for the daylogic brand distributed by Rite-Aid. The daylogic deep cleansing cream has the same ingredients as Noxema while the daylogic astringent has similar ingredients to Sea Breeze, including that important euclapytus oil and camphor. With the Rite-Aid membership card you can save even more money when the daylogic products are on sale. The regular price for the daylogic Deep Cleasning skin cream is $4.59 and the daylogic Deep Cleasing Astringent is $4.49.

Delta Brand’s Lucky Aloe Vera Sun Gel.

During the hot weather, the skin on my legs, arms and torso does not absorb a creamy lotion as quickly as it does in the winter. It is very important to keep the skin supple and moisturized during the summer months. Drinking lots of water helps from within and applying a lotion or gel on the skin’s surface does the work from the outside. But what kind of lotion or gel should you use? I have found an unexpected answer in Delta Brand’s “Lucky Sea ‘n’ Sun Aloe After Sun Gel”. The green gel is very lightweight and quickly absorbed after a hot bath or shower. I find that it works very well even on skin that is not tanned. This product contains Aloe Vera juice and glycerin but no alcohol. I bought this product at Deal 99 cents and Up in Bay Ridge for $1.49.

Hand care in the summer months may require a change in products as well. I use Anti-Bacterial Hand Soaps year round but find that a lighter version works better for me in the summer months. Delta Brands makes a line of anti-bacterial hand soaps that are pleasantly scented and do not dry the hands. I prefer their citrus scented hand soap which is labeled as a “kitchen citrus” but I find it works good for all-around use. After hand washing I follow up with Delta’s Lucky Daily Moisturizing Lotion that contains colloidal oatmeal derived from oat kernel flour. The lotion is of a medium consistency and quickly absorbs into the hands. I find both products work well together. I bought both at Deal 99 cents and Up Store in Bay Ridge. The lotion is $1.29 a bottle and the soap is sometimes on sale for 99 cents but usually sells for $1 or $1.19 a bottle.

I hope you will get some ideas for the challenges of treating combination skin during the spring and summer months. It is possible to do so while staying within a budgeted amount if you’re willing to devote some extra time to comparison shop, as well as trying out different products.

Note: I do not receive any payment in cash or kind for writing about the products featured in this blog. The postings are intended to be informational. Should you have serious skin problems please consult a dermatologist before beginning any kind of a skin care regimen.

If you’re a Rite Aid Wellness Cardholder and in the market for reasonably priced holiday greeting cards then hurry down to your local Rite Aid quickly! The holiday cards shown in this posting are all part of a sale that will delight a bargain shopper.

Wellness Cardholders are eligible to two free boxes of holiday greeting cards when they buy one at Rite Aid. The two free boxes must be of equal or lesser value than the one being purchased.

The range of cards available is priced as low as $6.99 for a box of 14 cards and as high as $19.99 for a box of cards that are larger in size and include foil lined envelopes. The variety of greetings and graphics ensure that almost everyone will find a selection they like.

My selection included two boxes of cards with pretty illustrations that are made even more attractive by the glitter used on them. I also got a box of cards with a photo of a very pretty Christmas wreath. I had to include the receipt from my purchase to prove to you this sale is for real.

This is a wonderful opportunity to buy extra cards to have on hand when giving a cash gift to a service person or to send to friends or relatives you’d like to reconnect with. There’s no reason to skimp on sending cards this year when the opportunity to get an extra supply is as easy as purchasing and just paying for one box!

I purchased my cards at the Rite Aid located at 6900 Fourth Avenue near 69thStreet in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY. You can reach this Rite Aid via the R train to 69th Street/4th Avenue. Their phone number is 718-748-8184.

Note: All cards shown here were created by Pinecone Design Ltd. of Toronto, Canada. They are distributed and sold through Rite Aid.

I love shopping for cereals, teas and coffee substitutes at Cracovia Deli. So many items that Americans have to seek out in organic or natural food stores are available here. The difference is that overall the prices at Cracovia are more reasonable.

Inka, a natural grain beverage.

I am very put off by the increasing price of coffee at American supermarkets. It is getting harder for me to part with $5, $6 and sometimes $7 for brands like Chock Full O’Nuts, Martinson’s, Savarin and other well known brands. While there is a nostalgia factor to brands like Chock Full O’Nuts (anyone remember their coffee shops, whole wheat donuts and cream cheese with walnut sandwiches?) there is something about spending this much money that puts me off. This is not a gourmet brand nor do I consider it worthwhile to cut into a $10 bill for the purchase of a non-essential food item that has no nutritive content.

These thoughts took me back to the time I lived with my maternal Grandmother Josie. She thought I drank way too much coffee and bought a cereal beverage named Postum for me to have each morning. This was in the 1970s. I do not remember seeing this product in the supermarkets in recent years. With all the emphasis on gourmet coffees I’d forgotten about it until I recently visited Cracovia Deli.

Inka, like Postum, is a natural grain beverage. Inka is made from barley and rye and has a slightly nutty flavor. It is made in Poland. The instructions state that you can add water or milk to make a cup of Inka. I found water to be too thin. Whole milk with one teaspoon of sugar adds a rich and pleasing taste to the beverage. One benefit I derived from drinking Inka is that I found my breakfast digests much better than when I have a cup of coffee. At around $3.50 for an 8 1/4 oz. container I consider this not only a good buy but a healthy choice. No more caffeine craving or jitters.

House of Tudor Ceylon Tea.

I prefer black tea to floral or fruity blends and am very happy with The House of Tudor brand teas available at Cracovia. I purchased their Ceylon Tea and English Breakfast Tea. The flavor is not as deep as Twinings Tea but is a step up from store brands and Liptons Teas. At $1.29 for box of 25 tea bags this is definitely worth buying.

Cracovia gets crowded in the late morning through late afternoon on weekends. I recommend shopping early on Saturday or Sunday, before 10 a.m.

There are also a variety of whole grain breads, crackers and cereals available as well as pierogis and cold cuts. The different types of honey are also worth trying. I recently bought a small jar of Linden honey and found the taste delicious. It’s a welcome change from my usual purchase of Clover honey at Pathmark.

I recently went through my small cosmetics stash. I can’t remember the last time I bought new make-up. It might have been two years ago when Gilly Hicks had an online sale. At that time I bought some lovely eye shadows, lip glosses and blush all in shades of soft, glittery pinks.

Now, though, these colors seem too pale and too understated for the change in image I’m undertaking. Since I’m once again drafting patterns and sewing clothes inspired by the fashions of the late 1940s and 1950s, I thought it would be enjoyable to seek out some old school cosmetics in old school colors.

Before The Great Recession caused me to rethink and reapproach how I shop, I’d think nothing of going to Macy’s Department Store on 34th Street in Mahattan. There I could always count on a skilled make-up artist from Elizabeth Arden to select just the right shades that were becoming.

I now look back and wonder how I could ever have spent upwards of $20 or more for eye make-up or lipstick. Times and ways of thinking have definitely changed my approach.

I wasn’t sure where to start my search in the quest to find the make-up I need. This was where the weekly circulars that are distributed with The Marketeer throughout Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Sunset Park came in handy for me.